YOUR QUESTION ANSWERED: Why were Gas House Lane boats towed?

Thursday

Aug 16, 2012 at 12:01 AMAug 16, 2012 at 4:09 PM

A resident witnessed several small rowboats and kayaks that had been stored against a fence in Gas House Lane being towed away under the supervision of the Marblehead Police Thursday, Aug. 9 and wanted to know why were the boats were towed away and why the owners weren’t allowed time to remove their boats before the town took action.

Kris Olson / kolson@wickedlocal.com

The question

A resident witnessed several small rowboats and kayaks that had been stored against a fence in Gas House Lane being towed away under the supervision of the Marblehead Police Thursday, Aug. 9, which — in his opinion — would not have interfered with a fire engine or other vehicle’s ability to drive down the lane as far as the beach. He wanted to know why were the boats were towed away and why the owners weren’t allowed time to remove their boats before the town took action.

He noted that, when the Light Department stopped allowing boats to be stored on the adjacent parkland, signs were posted well in advance of removal and that the department “did everything in their power to be fair to people, many of which had stored their boats there for several years.”

In this case, said the resident, no advance notice was given.

The answer

Fire Chief Jason Gilliland explained that the reason for the boats’ removal was safety. The fire lane, he said, is “very clearly marked” with multiple signs, including one specifically prohibiting boat storage, and is the only means his department has to access the back of houses in the area.

“If there were ever an emergency, we wouldn’t have time to start moving things around,” he said.

While there may have been a period where the fire lane was not enforced, Gilliland said the situation “came to the point where there were more and more boats down there.” Based on a complaint his department received, the fire chief made the decision to have the boats removed.

Gilliland added that, unlike with an illegally parked car, the department did not have the option to ask police to ticket the boats, given that owners don’t have to register them.

Gilliland explained that there had been an issue historically with boat storage in the area, which led to the fire lane being established around 2010. At first, Gilliland said, people complied with the posted signs, but gradually over time boats started to reappear.

“Old Town’s tough as it is [for access by fire apparatus],” Gilliland said. “We’re certainly not looking to be the bad guys or create hardship for anyone.”

He added that he had spoken to the resident about his concerns and offered to work with the neighborhood to try to establish a storage area around the corner, away from the fire lane.

What this means to you

The bottom line is that residents should not assume that restrictions on fire lane signs are no longer in effect, even if there is a period during which enforcement lapses, for whatever reason. As Gilliland noted, if an emergency arises in your neighborhood, you’ll be grateful if there’s nothing impeding responders’ ability to get to you as quickly as possible.

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